1001 Albums Summary

"Boy Named Sue" Not as strong as At Fulsom, but can listen to it top to bottom. Would love to check out the film and full set list.

Beautiful orchestration. Great for a relaxing afternoon walk. I agree that entire album blends from song to song, and while that leaves little room for stand out tracks, it makes for a pleasant straight through listen. "One of These Things First"

The vibes off this album are immaculate. Can just put this on and feel. I'm always impressed with quality sampling technique.

I didn't realize how many hits I knew came from this album alone. Regular radio rotation in the 80s introduced me to the artist, but I never connected that all these songs came prepackaged. That said, I don't feel an attachment to this as an album. The songs are great, but I'll probably pull up individual tracks when I want rather than play this top to bottom. Girls Just Want to Have Fun Time After Time She Bop All Through the Night

This album makes me nostalgic for a time and place that I wasn't a part of. Outside of a few singles I'd never really listened to Patti Smith until I moved to NYC nearly two decades ago. It was reading Just Kids that turned me onto her use of words, clashing poetry and prose, to really paint a picture. This album feels a bit like that as well. Poetry and Punk smashing into each other and mixing and finding a balance. It reminds me of the art my friends and I make in dingy basements around the city. It's about finding yourself and community by sharing whatever is inside. Gloria: In Excelsis Deo

A few standout tracks, including some that had a lot of radio play where I was living when this album came out. There are a few tracks that almost dip into the sounds that would eventually be Gorillaz. And the occasional off the wall song that just don't fit in. They intrigue me. But so much of the rest was a wash. Girls & Boys Parklife

Strangely, I think the East Coast/West Coast rap rivalry kept me away from this solo album. Enjoyable listen. I do like hearing Method Man outside of Wu-Tang.

Half the songs are covers. Most of the originals have become classics, and I think highly of them. For an album experience I would love just Beatles songs.

Poetry and Protest; I can hear the Woody Guthrie influence throughout. Truly a great listen. Blowin’ in the Wind Girl from the North Country A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright

I don't think I've ever felt betrayed by an artist when they tried something new with their sound. Either I accepted it, or moved on. Reading about the pushback the Dylan recieved for going electric is crazy to me. The second part of this set where he brings in the rock aspect over the folk isn't jarring, it's just growing.

Without this being what I classify as one of my favorite bands--and having never owned this album--somehow I'm familiar with nearly every song. And I love them all. The tracks I wasn't familiar with are going to get added to my rotation to see if they become as beloved as the rest. Take a Bow Starlight Supermassive Black Hole Map of the Problematique Invincible Assassin Exo-Politics Knights of Cydonia

Outside of a few tracks I've never heard any of this album. And yet, I've heard this all before. I'm not hearing the "new sound" that initial reviews are so excited for. And whatever the "grunge had died with Kurt Cobain" from JK in 1001 sentiment is crazy. Maybe he was right that the musical landscape in the UK was "barren." I know Oasis despite (or because of) the turbulent relationship of the Gallagher brothers can crank out some hits. I'm just not hearing it yet. Live Forever Married With Children

Huge improvement over their debut. It helped to have them back to back for my listening education. Finally finding a sound that stands out. Some great hits. And the songs I wasn’t familiar with all still have a charm. Wonderwall Don’t Look Back in Anger She’s Electric Morning Glory Champagne Supernova

Prince is so gifted, but this album and its experimentation misses for me. The synths too often stand out as harsh against the smoothness of the funk and r&b that grounds the sound. Others are just too long without a significant structural change. There are definitely some tracks I wasn't familiar with that I'll be adding to my personal roster. And something tells me that this album will likely grow on me with repeated listens. 1999 Litte Red Corvette

Satirizing mainstream counter-culture and those holding onto conservative values all while showcasing a massive skillset, the album is amazing. It is painting a picture of the sixties in vibrant soundscapes. I've heard something new on each listen. And the flow of the musical narrative keeps me listening from start to finish. I will need to revisit this one time and again.

Blues and Rock truly melding. Good Times Bad Times Dazed and Confused Communication Breakdown

Well, that was pleasant. I like the final instrumental of Last Orders.

Redefining his personal sound, redefining pop music as a whole, redefining marketing and promotion. The only thing this album can't do is make me like the skit with Paul McCartney in place of a real outro on The Girl Is Mine. Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' Thriller Beat It Billy Jean Human Nature P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)

ABBA can put together an album, and this one has its share of hits. The other tracks are enjoyable, but not as remarkable. Dancing Queen Knowing Me, Knowing You Money, Money, Money Fernando

The start of the G-Gunk Era. The hits really show off Dre's style and where he was taking rap. I'm only really familiar with the singles, although it felt like everyone owned this album at the time. The interim skits take me out of the flow. Fuck Wit Dre Day Let Me Ride Nuthin' But A "G" Thang Bitches Ain't Shit

Great soundtrack for a gray day. This one has grown on my with subsequent listens. At first it was just lo-fi sad boy music, which is a genre I enjoy, but nothing really stood out. Taking a little more time with the lyrics is what sold me on this album. Adding to my rotation.

This album is asking you to lean in and listen. From the first moments on, barely audible, forcing one to crank the volume or miss out. I nearly did. These guys play a tight quartet. There isn't a wasted note or moment. The story telling is fantastic. Sultans of Swing 4

This is a Temptations I haven't heard before. Coming in strong from the start with a new funk vibe that compliments their harmonies and new songs quite well. It even gives new life to Heard It Through The Grapevine. I'm sure Berry Gordy lost his mind when he first heard these tracks. Eventually the album slides into a more familiar and comfortable Motown sound with only the occasional funk embellishment.

Layers upon layers in this album. With all the blended samples, at times dense and referential lyrics, and many songs not featuring consistent hooks it's easy to get overwhelmed. To catch everything would take going line by line. I can visualize it as a stereographic image: either you see the schooner or you get a migraine. That's also what it makes it an enjoyable listen. So much more depth than their earlier work. More risks were taken. There is more to discover. Summed up in their own lyrics: "The music washes over and you're one with the sound." "Expressing my aggressions through my schizophrenic verse words" Hey Ladies Shadrach

The flow is so smooth, the tales are heartfelt, and the beats fit just right. Dear Mama

Hauntingly beautiful. Black is the Color of my True Love’s Hair

I want to sit in the back of a bar and have this entire album played while my friends and I reminisce about the past and plan for the future.

These tracks are joyous and fun. I love the inventive samples and hooks created with them. They are also too long for my taste. With only the shortest track at just under four minutes, and many in excess of six, I find myself really hyped at the start of every new song because I'd started to check out with the repetition of the previous. When I have the album playing in the background I'm digging on it. The Rockafeller Skank Praise You

In college there was only really one place to get coffee in town, a Starbucks. This album sounds like one of the CDs they would be selling at the counter. There is nothing wrong with this album. There also doesn't appear to be anything outright special about it either. 2

"Now I'm in the limelight 'cause I rhyme tight" For a debut album, this is a hell of piece of work. Solid flow, great use of beats, all coming together to tell Biggy's life story. One More Chance Juicy Big Poppa